Sylvania



W. A. MORTON GLASS LEER Original Filed March 14, 1925 U U U 7Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY mmmmmimmmmi III w. A. MORTON GLASS LEER March17, 1931. Re. 18,004

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ATTORNEY W. A. MORTON Marth 17, 1931, GLASS LEER 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 oriinal Filed March 14, 1925 ATTORNEY.

W. A. MORTON March 11, 1931. GLASS Re. 18,004

Original Fild MarCh 14, 1925 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY v W. A. MORTONMmh 17, 1931. GLASS Re.1 8 ,004

Original Filed March 14,1925 '7' She etsSheet 6 ramrzmzmmmzzzmrzmzzm'cllzm QEIIZEIIZEI ATTORNEY.

w. A. MORTON GLASS LEER' 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 March 17, 1 31.

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Reiseued Mar. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM A. MORTON,OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO AMSLER- MORTON COMPANY, O]!PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLYANIA GLASS LEEBOriginal No. 1,684,289, dated September 11, 1928, Serial Ie.'15 ,507,flledjlamh 14, 1925. Application for reissue filed June 24, 1929. SerialNo. 873,417.

This invention is for an improvement in glass leers, and particularlyleers of the endless conveyor type.

In annealing glassware in annealing apparatus of the class to which myin.- vention relates, it is very desirable to introduce the ware to theannealing chamber at a temperature corresponding to the maximumtemperature of the annealing chamber, and to gradually reduce thetemperature of the ware from the point of introduction toward the pointof discharge 1 Considerable difiiculty has been encountered inmaintaining the entrance end of the leer at a high temperature, themaximum temperature usually being attained several feet back from theentrance. In recent installations of leers using an endless conveyor, ithas been the ractice in certain instances to have the muifib of the leeroverhang the forward or receiving end of the conveyor, and to provideflues in the overhang through which a large portion of the gases ofcombustion are drawn, to thereby heat the forward end of the leer.

Even in this overhang type of leer, however, the temperature increasesgradually from the entrance to a point several feet back of theentrance, but the point of maximum temperature is considera and themaximum temperature obtained is considerably higher;

For instance, in the old style leer, having a mufile of about fifty feetin length, the point of maximum temperature was, on the average, betweentwent and thirty feet back from the entrance, an the maximum temperatureobtainable was little above 500 C, while the tem erature a'tthe point ofintroduction was a at 100 C. In the overhang type of leer, the int ofmaximum -temper-, ature is reached etween twelve and fifteen feet backfrom the entrance to the mufile.

The maximum temperature obtainable approaches 600 C., while thetemperature at the point of entrance is between 300 and 400 C. Inmuflies of shorter length, approximately the same ratio of maximumtemperature and distance obtains.

1y nearer the entrance of the leer than in the old style,

perature of the point of entrance is very close to the point of maximumtemperature a short distance back from the point of entrance.

A further object of the-invention is to prov1de a leer having theconveyor preheated preabsorption at the point of entry is materiallydecreased, and in some cases, entirely eliminated.

The advantages are obvious to those skilled in the art. There is, as hasbeen proved in actual installations, a smaller percentage of breakageand a greater percentage of satisfactorily annealed articles. There isalso a more eflicient annealing, as shown, of course, by the reductionin breakage and increase in satisfactorily annealed ware, and there isan appreciable saving of fuel.

These and other objects and advantages are attained by the invention,which may be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings whichillustrate desirable embodi inents of the invention, but it will beunderstood that various changes and modifications are contemplatedwithin the spirit of the invention. In the drawings, Fig. 1 is alongitudinal section through a muffle leer embodying one form of myinvention; Fig. 2 is a divided horizontal section partly in the plane ofline AA of Fig. 1 and partly in the plane of line B-B of Fig. 1, thedivision of the sections being along the longitudinal center line of thefigure; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section below the plane of section BB online OC' of Fig. 1; 4 is a vertical transverse section on line IVIV ofFig. 1: Figs. 5 and 6 are similar sections on lines V-V and VI-VI ofFig. 1, respectively; Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a modifiedform; Fig.

8 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing Lsecceding its entry into themuflle, whereby heat acteristic temperature curves for the old styleleer, the overhung leer, and my imill proved leer, as plotted frominstallations now in use.

The type of leer shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive may be first described.This is the usual overhung front type of leer, such for instance as thatshown in United States Letters Patent to lValter O. Amsler, No. 1,533,-

298 of April 14, 1925, but having my improvement appliedthereto. Much ofthe construction of the leer thus being old, the construction of theleer broadly need be only. generally referred to.

In the drawing, 5 designates the outer side walls of a leer, having anarched top 6. 'The bottom of the leer is designated 7. Spaced from thetop, side and bottom walls of the leer inside thereof is the mufilechamber 8, having a.floor or bottom 9, side walls 10, and an arched top11, the walls of the m uflle preferably being constructed in the usualmanner of paneled tiles.

Between the top of the muflle and the top of the leer is a combustionspace that may be divided by a transverse partition 12 into a forwardchamber 13 and a rear chamber 14.

The usual vertical flues 15 are provided at the sides of the muflle. Inthe drawings, only those flues after the first three are designated 15,the first three being designated 15a, and being hereinafter more fullydescribed.

The flues 15 open into the space 16 under the floor 'of the muflle,'andin this space are suitably arranged baffles 17. The space 16 may bedivided by a transverse wall 18 as shown 'in Figure 2, so that the hotgases will flow from the combustion chamber down some of the fiues 15,circulate under the bottom of the muflle, pass up into the rear chamber14, flow downother of the passages 15,

again circulate underthemufile, to the rear of wall 18, and finally passout of the rear most vertical fiues 15?) into the main stack,19. Thearrows in Fig.2 indicate this up and down flow of gasesthrough theseveral flues. This general arrangement is now incorporated in presentforms of leers.

A suitable burner 20 may be provided at the top of the leer, and damperplates 21 may be provided in the several fines 15 for regulating theflow of gases through the several flues to control the temperaturegraduation,

as will be understood by those skilled in they art.

In the front wall 5a of the leer is a feeding-in opening 55. Spaced backfrom the door is a shaft 22, having sprocket wheels 23 thereon overwhich an endless conveyor 24 passes from its return movement under thefloor of the leer in the muflle chamber. Along the bottom of the mufflechamber are guide rails 25 for this conveyor, of which, for the sake ofclearness, onlya small portion is shown.

As will be seen in Fig. 1, the front end of the leer and muflieoverhangs the conveyor pulleys or wheels 23. In order to draw heat tothe front part of the 'muflleabove and forwardly of the alleys,orentrance point of the conveyor, t e first side flues, as for instancethe first,three side flues 15a, areprovided,as-in said patent of WalterO. Amsler. Of these, the foremost leads into a vertical passage 26 infront of the pulleys, said passage having a damper for regulating theflow of hot gases therethrough.

The next two flues, in order that there may be a draft'therethrough, arejoined at their lower ends with an opening into the first flue asindicated by the dotted lines at 15d in Fig.

1 and as shown in the upper part of Fig. 2. By manipulation of dampers21., the desired amount of hot gases from the combustion chamber may bedirected through these forwardmost flues to draw heat to the forward oroverhung portion of the muflle.

While I have mentioned three flues, it is for the purpose ofillustration merely, as .the 1 number of flues so arranged is immaterialso long as they rovide' for drawing some of'the heat to the orward partof the leer. F urthermore, the second two flues 150 could be joined tothe first flue 15, as illustrated in the said Amsler patent, rather thanjoining with the' first flue 15a, although the latter form is desirable.The point is that none of the side flues can be blind or dead-ended.

The vertical passage 26 narrows toward its lower end, and its lower endopens horizontally into the sub-structure 27, as shown in Fig. 3. Thisstructure is of a refractory construction, havin a chamber 28 therein inwhich are suitab y arranged baflles 29 to insure a spreadingof thegaseous flow and a wide distribution of. heat. The forward part of thesub-structure is preferably about the same width as the leer. Severalfeet back from the entrance, it narrows down into a flue passage 30,divided at 31 into spreading passages 32 opening into vertical passages33 'going to the secondary flue 34. Provision is preferably made forclosing the secondary flue 34, as indicated, for instance, by damper34a, so that after the flue passages of the leer have become hot enoughto establish a draft,

the gases passing through the sub-structure may be directed throughports 30a leading up to and communicating with flues 15, so as toutilize all the available heat.

It will be seen that the sub-structure 27 extends under the sprocketwheels 23, ,and under the'conveyor, several feet back from the pointwhere it enters the-leer. It. is fully as wide as the conveyor, andpreferably has thin tile on its upper surface, over which theconveyorrides,'so as to radiate a maximum of its heat to the conveyor.Just above the top of the sub-structure are rails 35 to guide the returnsection of the conveyor below ,the

til

bottom of the leer and above the top of the sub-structure. With thisarrangement, the returning portion of the conveyor, which travels at arelatively slow speed, can be raised to approximately the temperature ofthe forward part of the leer. This is done, however, without sacrificingany of the heat available for heating. the front end of the leer. Theexcess heat passing down the first flue is utilized to its fullestextent. Not only does this arrangement heat the conveyor, but it heatsthe air around the conveyor, so that the air which enters the mufilearound the sprocket wheels and shaft is highly preheated.-

The result of the invention may be readily appreciated by referring toFig. 11, which is a chart plotted against temperature measurements ofactual leer installations of corres onding dimensions. 7

the chart, which shows the temperatures of the muflle, line A, isplot-ted against a leer of the Amsler or overhung type, modified toincorporate the present invention. The dotted line B shows thetemperature curve of the usual Amsler or overhung type without thepresent invention. The dot-anddash line C is the temperature curve ofthe usual type of endless conveyor leer without the overhung mufllechamber.

Line C indicates that at the point of entry, the temperature is about100" C., and it increases quite gradually back from the entrance untilthe maximum of about 510 C.

is reached, about twenty-six feet back in the fifty-foot muflle. Line Bshows that the tem perature at the entrance point is considerably higherin the overhung type of leer, it being about 350 C. The maximumtemperature of about 575 C. is rather gradually ap- Eroached betweeneleven and thirteen feet ack from the entrance. Line A shows thetemperature at the entrance to be above 600 C., and that there is anincrease from this point of only about 20 C., this maximum temperaturepoint being less than six feet from the entrance.

Curve A approaches a practically ideal condition for annealingglassware, and in practice, it has been found that the leer reducesbreakage to a percentage far below any heretofore obtainable. Theconditions are also ideally suitable for heat-resistant ware of the wellknown Pyrex type, and all heavy poorly distributed glasses.

In the construction shown in Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive, I have followedthe same general idea adapted to a leer wherein the return of theconveyor travels partway through the mufile chamber to-thereby becomepreheated- In these figures, 40 designates the side walls, 41 the frontwall, and 42 the top of a leer construction. The muflle chamber is desiated 43, and it has a top wall or roof 44, side walls 45, and a bottom46, which is considerably lower than the muflie bottom in the Fig. 1construction. This bottom 46 is dropped below the level of the upperconveyor guides 47 and below the bottom 48 of the annealing tunnel 49;Bottom 46 is ex-' tended at 50 under the bottom of the tunnel, and it isthrough the space or opening 51 that the return of the conveyor entersthe muflle, lower guides for the conveyor being shown at 52. Theconveyor is designated 53. Near the forward end of the mufiie aresprockets 54 around which the conveyor passes.

The muffle chamber is spaced from the walls of the leer, so as toprovide the combustion chamber and side flues as hereinbefore de:scribed in connection with Figs. 1 to 6 in-v drawn to the forward partof the muflle chamber, as explained in connection with the leer of thetype shown in Fig. 1. The rear of passage 56 terminates in spreadingflues 59?) that lead to the chimney 60. Only the first few of the sideflues 58 communicate withpassage 57 The other side flues 59 communicatewith the heating chambers 55, as above mentioned, The last series ofside flues 59 also lead to the chimney 60. The

arrows in Fig. 8 indicate the general up and down flow of gases, thearrows pointing upward in the drawing indicating the up-flow of gases,and the arrows pointing downward, the downflow of gases.

With this arrangement, the gases of combustion that heat the front ofthe muflie through the side flues 58 serve to heat the center of thebottom of the mufiie chamber.

The advantage of the separate passage 56 is to obtain a better controlof the flow of hot gases to the several parts of the leer. This controlof gas flow can further be regulated by the provision of the usualdampers 61.

In this construction the return portion of the conveyor enters themuille well back of the forward portion of the leer and is graduallypreheated until it is at the temperature of the muflle when it reaches aposition to receive the ware. As it is desirable to gradually reduce theheat from the front of the leer back, the conveyor, entering the coolerend of the leer, assists, by its absorption of heat,

in maintaining this condition. The return portion of the conveyor,furthermore, moves close to the bottom of the muffle, and is heated to avery high temperature, and the gases that are used in heating theforward end'of the muflie assist in heating the conveyor.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have, by preheating theconveyor before bringing it into the top of the-forward end of themuflie, made a remarkable improvement in leers, and have done thiswlthout greatly adding to the cost of the construction. The inventionutilizes heat that has heretofore been wasted, so that, besides givinggreatly improved annealing conditions and attainlng higher maximumtemperature, it effects a saving'of fuel, in that more of the availableheat is delivered to the muflie.

What I claim is:

1. In a glass, leer of the mufiie type having an endless conveyor forcarryin wares therethrough, and in which the mu e overhangs the forwardend of the conveyor, said leer having passages for the circulation ofgases around the sides and under the bottom of the muflie, otherpassages at the sides of the forward end of the muifle for heating theportion of the muflle overhanging and in advance of the conveyor, and asurface over and in close proximity to which the forward end of thereturn portion of the conveyor moves,

and a circulatmg passage under said surface through which gases passingthrough the said passages at the forward end of the muflle flow to heatthe conveyor.

2. In'a glass leer, a mufile, a conveyor havingaportion extendingthrough the muflie and a return portion below the muflle, the forwardend of the conveyor entering the muflie a short distanceback from theforward end of the mufiie whereby the muflie overhangs the forward endof the conveyor, gas circulating chambers .above and below the muffleand flues at the sides of the muflle connecting the upper and lowerchambers, a separate flue at the sides of the portion of the mufileoverha 'ng the conveyor, and a sub-structure exten 'ng under the forwardend of the return portion of the conveyor and below the mufile, andoffor heating the overhung substantially the same width as the conveyor,

said sub-structure having a circulating chamber therein with which thesaid separate flues fle communicate, said su structure constituting aheating means for the conveyor.

3. In a mufile leer, of the type having an endless conveyor with themuflle passage overhanging the point where the returning portion of theconveyor entersthe muflie, separatepassages at the sides of the mufliefor heating that portion of the muflie which extends in advance of theconveyor and that portion of the muflle through'which the conveyorpasses, and a sub-structure under the conveyor having a circulatingchamben therein heated from gases leaving those flues that heat thesides of the muflie in advance of the tivel portion of the mufconveyorfor heating said conveyor immediately in advance of where it enters themufiie.

4. In a leer of the muflle type having an endless conveyor with aportion extending through the muffle and a return portion below themufile, said return portion entering the mufile back from the forwardend thereof so that the forward portion of the muflie overhangs theconve or, an upper combustion and circulating c amber above. the mufile,a lower chamber under the mufile andto the rear of theentrance point ofthe conveyor, a conveyor heating means under and in close proximity vtothe return portion of the conveyor at its point of entry into themufiie, fiues around the overhung portion of the Inufile leading fromsaid upper chamber to the conveyor heating means, and'flues at the sidesof the mufile rearwardly of the point where the conveyor enters themuflie connect ing the upper chamber with the chamber below the muflle.

5. In a muflle leer having an endless conveyor passing through themuflie thereof and of the type in which the muflle extends forwardlybeyond the forward end of the conveyor, as circulating forwar part ofthe mu e in advance of the forward end of the conveyor, other gascirculating passages around the sides of the muflle back fromthe-forward end of the con veyor and means utilizing gases passingthrough said first mentione clrculatmg flue for heatin the returnportion of the conveyor, sai means including fpassages disposed underthe forward end 0 the conveyor and in communication with the said gascirculating passages at the forward part of the muflle. a

6. In a glass leer, a mufiie, a conveyor having a portion extendingthrough the muflie assages around the v with the forward end of theconveyor entering the muflie a short-distance back from the forward endof the muflle, whereby the mufile overhangs the forward end of theconveyor, gas circulating chambers above and below the 'muflie, fines atthe'sidesof the muflle connect: ing the upper and lower chambers, asubstructure under the conveyor having a relawi de circulating chamberat the forwar end of the sub-structure, a passa e leading from the widercirculating c amber through the sub-structure, a chimney, a'nd-avalve-controlled flue in communication with the last named assage andthe chimney. y

' 7. In a glass lizer, a 'mume, a conveyor having a portion extendingthrough the muflle with the forward end of-the conveyoren'teb ing themuflie a short distance back from the forward end of the mufie, wherebythe muflie' overhangs the forward end ofthe conveyor, gas circulatingchambers above and below the muflle, flues at the sides of this muflieconnects ing the upper and lower chambers, a substructure under theconveyor having a relativel wide circulating chamber at the for war endof the sub-structure, an extended floor portion, projecting inwardlyfrom the muflle, a chimney, a passage under the extended floor incommunication with the relatively wide passage of the sub-structure, anda valve-controlled flue in communication with the passage under thefloor and the chimney.

8. A leer of the continuous conveyor type for heat treating glassware,comprising an annealing tunnel, a plurality of heating flues associatedwith said tunnel, a plurality of combustion chambers externally of saidtun nel and non-communicative therewith, each of which is but a portionof the length of said heating flues, means for withdrawing the productsof combustion from one of said combustion chambers to one of saidheating flues, means for withdrawing the products of combustion from theother of said combustion chambers through the other of said heatingflues, and damper regulated means in communication with said flues forgradually reducing the temperature from the front toward the rear ofsaid tunnel.

9. A leer of the continuous conveyor type for heat treating glassware,comprising an annealing tunnel, a plurality of heatin flues associatedwith said tunnel, a plurality of combustion chambers externally of saidtunnel, non-communicative therewith, and in communication with saidflues one of which is located near the forward end of said tunnel andthe other located between the first combustion chambers externally ofsaid tunnel and non-communicative therewith, each of which is but aportion of the length of said heating flues, means for withdrawing theproducts of combustion from one of said c0m bustion chambers to one ofsaid heating flues, means for withdrawing the products of combustionfrom' the other of said combustion chambers through the other of saidheatin flues and through said first named flue, an damper re lated meansin communication with said ues for controlling the temperature of saidtunnel.

11. A leer of the continuous conveyor type comprising anannealing'tunnel, a heatin flue extending longitudinally beneath saitunnel, a combustion chamber externally of said tunnel andnon-communicative thereond flue parallel with said first named flue andcommunicating with the latter, exhaust means for drawing the products ofcombustion through said flues and damper regulated means for withdrawingthe products of combustion from said heating flue at intervals tocontrol the temperature gradient in the heating fine and tunnel.

13. A leer for treating glassware comprising an annealing tunnel, acontinuous conveyor passing through said tunnel; a combustion chamberexternally of said tunnel and non-communicative therewith, a heatingflue beneath said tunnel extending from the forward end of said tunnel,longitudinally thereof and in communication with said combustionchamber, said flue having a heating wall.

in close relation with and exposed to the forward end of said conveyorto condition the same for receiving the glassware. exhaust means fordrawing the hot gases from said chamber through said heating flue toproduce the highest temperature in the forward end of said tunnel anddamper regulated means in communication with said heating flue forcontrolling the flow of the gases through said flue and for graduallyreducing the temperature from the front toward the rear of said tunnel.

14. A leer for treating glassware comprising an annealing tunnel, aconveyor for moving glassware therethrough, a heating flu'e adjacent theware bearing strand of said conveyorextending longitudinally of saidtunnel, a combustion chamber externally of said tunnel andnoncommunicative therewith, regulable means for drawing hot gases fromsaid chamber to maintain a predetermined annealing temperature at thefront of said tunnel and damper regulated means controlling the flow ofthe gases from said chamber through said heating flue and for regulatingthe temperature in said flue beyond said chamber to thereby vary at willthe temperature gradient in the said tunnel.

15. A leer for treating glassware comprising an annealing tunnel, aconveyor for moving the glassware therethrough, a combustion chamberexternally of and non-communicative with said tunnel, means for heatingsaid chamber to the required annealing temperature to produce apredetermined vol ume of gases therein, a temperature regulat-- in'gflue adjacent the ware-bearin strand of said conveyor extending longitually be- 5 yond said chamber, exhaust means for said flue and combustionchamber,, and damper regulating means for increasing the volume of gasesflowing in said regulating flue to regulate the temperature in said fluebeyond 10 said chamber without varying the volume of gases produced bthe heating means to thereby vary at w1ll the temperature gradient inthe said tunnel.

16. A leer for treating glasware compris- 15 ing an annealin tunnel, aconveyor for moving glassware t erethrough, regulable heating means forproducing the required annealing temperature at the forward end of said7 tunnel, additional regulable heating means for maintaining therequired annealing temperature in the heating zone of said tunnel, atemperature regulating flue extending longitudinally of said tunnelbeyond said heating means, and damper regulating means a for increasinthe flow of the regulating medium in said flue to thereby vary at willthe tempe ature gradient in the tunnel inde- I pendent y of variationsof said heating means. a

in WILLIAMVLMORTON.

